Indigenous people from the Arctic
have 100 different words for snow.
That’s an amazing fact!
Or is it!??
Everybody knows that we can
use digital resources
to find information we need.
Think about how many times
we do this in a day…
What’s the next train home?
What will the weather be like tomorrow?
What messages have I received
from my tutor
on my distance learning course?
We all use online information services, but
are we using them effectively?
Hmmm. We need to think about
effective ways to search for information.
Today, we are looking at
using the internet
to search for information
and do research
for our distance learning studies.
But the internet is so
full of so much information:
what is the best way to find information –
and how far can we trust what we find?
Think about all the ways
you find information online.
You probably use a search engine like
Google or Bing
or one that is popular in your country.
Search engines are fantastically
useful, but they usually
show links to other websites,
so you need to critically evaluate
those sites to know
if the information there is reliable.
Imagine if you used incorrect
information you found
online in one of your university assignments.
You won’t get
good marks like that.
Luckily, your academic institution
may provide you a list of trusted sources.
As a good distance
learner, you are expected
to do additional research
to find additional information, so
you need to critically evaluate
what you find online.
As well as websites, many people now
use social media
as a source of information.
We need to be even more critical
here to avoid
incorrect, false
or even deliberately fake information.
It’s a good idea to question
everything you find online,
in all areas of your life –
as well as for your distance learning needs!
So, why should we be so cautious when using
online for searching for information?
To put it simply,
you could easily find incorrect information.
If the information you find is wrong,
then you will get poor marks
in your assignments.
Just the same as if the train times you find
online are wrong,
you could be in for a long walk home!
So, let’s talk about how to make
sure you are finding
and using information online correctly.
Firstly, you need to build
up your list of trusted sources.
These are sources that you know
have a high level of credibility.
Your tutors can help you with this,
but you also need to be able to evaluate
sources you find online.
Many distance learners
use online forums and
wikis such as Quora, Yahoo Answers and Wikipedia
to find information.
Now, for everyday life these
can be useful resources.
But for distance learners
they should only be used as a starting
point for study.
You can research more fully
by going to the sources referenced in articles
on sites like Wikipedia.
If they are reputable
then you can use them as a resource.
You can also use academic search engines
such as Google Scholar or REFSEEK.
Similarly, we need to avoid untrusted sources.
Unfortunately, social media
is full of examples
of incorrect information.
So: just because somebody posts
a story on social media, don’t
just accept it as fact –
you need to do more research
to see if the information is credible.
Another important aspect of online research
is avoiding online plagiarism.
Plagiarism
is an important word for all students.
It means ‘taking other people’s work
and claiming it is your own’.
This is a serious matter in academic study
and can result in serious consequences.
It’s fine to look at other people’s work
and use it as a source, but you have
to cite your references.
This means stating
exactly where the information has come from:
another important skill for students!
Citing references is
a requirement for all academic institutions,
so your distance learner provider
will supply you with
guidelines on how to do it.
So that’s an introduction
to finding information online.
There is a world of resources out there,
but always be careful in how you use it!
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